The present invention relates generally to packaging container systems for shipping breakable and other articles and more particularly to a packaging container system for shipping automobile window glass and other automobile parts and assemblies.
The safe shipping of automobile glass products (e.g., front windows, rear windows, side window, etc.) from the glass manufacturer to the automobile assembly plant presents particular difficulty, especially for large curved glass products. All parties-glass manufacturer, shipper, automobile assembler-accept breakage of a significant percentage of such large glass products. These same comments apply to other automobile parts, such as, for example, hoods, fenders, doors, and the like. Shipment without damage is difficult to achieve. Prior attempts to package automobile glass and other products have proven futile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,448 proposes a rigid surface having a layer of foam bonded thereto with an adhesive coating the foam. The china or other item to be shipped is adhesively held in place. U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,990 proposes to sandwich glass sheet inside a male/female waffle foam carrier pair and to secure the waffle foam panels together. U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,976 proposes to ship automobile glass and metal parts held in place by a U-shaped channels disposed atop and on the bottom of an elongate rigid body member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,043 proposes to ship automobile glass secured by slotted foam blocks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,466 proposes to ship automobile glass in adhesively coated notched logs, where the upstanding glass sheets rest in the notches. U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,898 proposes to apply a liquid between automobile glass wherein the liquid cools to elastomeric spacers between the glass. U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,450 proposes to pack automobile glass between slotted brackets and place the assembly inside packing containers.
Despite these proposals, there exists a real need in the automobile industry for shipping container systems of small overall size, which afford improved protection for the parts being shipped. It is to such need that the present invention is addressed.